Fated Circle / Wishing Star

Elsewhere, I was discussing the circumstances around Quistis’ firing from her position as an instructor, and the “Secret Area” scene came up.  The scene, particularly Quistis’ order, is undeniably uncomfortable, and Quistis’ abuse of power shouldn’t be overlooked just because of the gender reversal of the characters involved.  Furthermore, in this scene, Quistis essentially sets herself up for Squall’s “Go talk to a wall” response:  she approaches a student who has never shown an interest in other people or their problems, a student who is currently extremely confused by what just happened in the ballroom, and orders him to accompany her to a known make-out spot, then proceeds to bombard him with her troubles. Just as there is no excuse for Quistis’ actions, there’s no excuse for Squall’s response, but how, if Quistis knew Squall as well as she claimed she did, did she expect anything different from him?  

It was an incredibly stupid decision on her part, and if it was an isolated incident, I could generously attribute it the anger and confusion of a child prodigy who’d just been unfairly stripped of her most notable achievement.  Unfortunately, since Quistis makes at least one other questionable decision not long afterward and fades into the background thereafter, the Secret Area scene strikes me as less than a lapse in judgment and more as the beginning of the writers’ mishandling of her character (I’ll get back to that in a minute).

The sad part is, that scene could’ve been executed in other, less creepy, ways and still have had the same effect.  Perhaps Quistis could’ve just spoken to Squall on the ballroom balcony; it’s not like anyone else would’ve gone out there if the party was still going.  Or, perhaps Squall could tire of the party, leave it early and go to the Training Center to work out his confusion, and encounter Quistis there working through her frustration.  They chat by the lake, Squall gets to be a big jerk, and they both get to save Ellone from the monster.  Just as dramatic, no predatory teacher bit required.

But the reason I think the writers chose the route they did was because of the way they seem to have envisioned Quistis – specifically, as the hot teacher.  What boy in his right mind wouldn’t be thrilled to have some time alone with her?  Even one of the Trepies says something along those lines. Quistis overstepping the boundaries of her authority is just the writers transferring their adolescent fantasies to a story that otherwise keeps them to a respectable minimum.  

So, what happens when the hot teacher isn’t a teacher anymore?  Well, then she just becomes pretty decoration.  The curviest of the three main females, the most conventionally beautiful, the one whose weapon even has sexual connotations, no longer gets to be anything else.  

Oh, did we really insinuate that she’s extremely intelligent and competent? Sorry about that, here she is making bad decisions again and again!

Oops, Garden’s in the middle of a battle and Squall looks like he could use some help!  Should the SeeD with three years’ field experience step up?  No, she’s just a pretty face.  Let’s have the guy who’s not even a SeeD suddenly act brilliant!

Smart girls get put in their place.  Beautiful smart girls get taken down a few pegs lower.

It’s a strange sentiment from a game that otherwise allows its female characters to be strong and relatively independent.

How does a character go so quickly from gunning down a giant robot spider and saving her team to essentially just “being there”?  It would’ve been so simple to keep her original traits and adapt them to the changing conditions:  allow her to make prudent suggestions from time to time; allow her to step up when other characters are struggling; allow her to use her experience to continue to be an instructor in an unofficial capacity, a mentor to the newer SeeDs, thereby proving Balamb Garden wrong.

I understand that her confidence must’ve taken a major hit from her setbacks and failures, but damn, would it have been too much to ask to see her reclaim some of that confidence and redeem herself as the story progressed?

in-game i’m of the mind that she’s isolated and awkward specifically because she is so booksmart, which is why she missteps badly when it comes to personal things, but that’s something i came up with afterward to explain the canon material because WHY ELSE would such a smart cookie make these decisions?

she had so much potential but! BUT!! BUTTTTTTTT

So honestly, from my perspective, I’m completely fine with her taking Squall to the Training Center’s secret area. To me, it was less of a creepy moment or wish-fulfillment from horny developers trying to live out a fantasy and more her being vulnerable and real for the first time in probably oh, ever?

Quistis’ emotions were open, exposed and laid bare. I always interpreted this as like, more of her being freshly stripped of her title and position and finally, you’re looking at an 18-year-old girl trusting the boy she finds to be so cute, entrusting him with these feelings in some vain hope of him reciprocating, or maybe even just relating or SOMETHING.

I hate, haaaaaaaaaate how they just kind of let her just kind of fade into obscurity. This woman deserved so much more. She was badass, a force of nature, fearless and then there’s this shift with no real closure, no true redemption or– anything.

Elsewhere, I was discussing the circumstances around Quistis’ firing from her position as an instructor, and the “Secret Area” scene came up.  The scene, particularly Quistis’ order, is undeniably uncomfortable, and Quistis’ abuse of power shouldn’t be overlooked just because of the gender reversal of the characters involved.  Furthermore, in this scene, Quistis essentially sets herself up for Squall’s “Go talk to a wall” response:  she approaches a student who has never shown an interest in other people or their problems, a student who is currently extremely confused by what just happened in the ballroom, and orders him to accompany her to a known make-out spot, then proceeds to bombard him with her troubles. Just as there is no excuse for Quistis’ actions, there’s no excuse for Squall’s response, but how, if Quistis knew Squall as well as she claimed she did, did she expect anything different from him?  

It was an incredibly stupid decision on her part, and if it was an isolated incident, I could generously attribute it the anger and confusion of a child prodigy who’d just been unfairly stripped of her most notable achievement.  Unfortunately, since Quistis makes at least one other questionable decision not long afterward and fades into the background thereafter, the Secret Area scene strikes me as less than a lapse in judgment and more as the beginning of the writers’ mishandling of her character (I’ll get back to that in a minute).

The sad part is, that scene could’ve been executed in other, less creepy, ways and still have had the same effect.  Perhaps Quistis could’ve just spoken to Squall on the ballroom balcony; it’s not like anyone else would’ve gone out there if the party was still going.  Or, perhaps Squall could tire of the party, leave it early and go to the Training Center to work out his confusion, and encounter Quistis there working through her frustration.  They chat by the lake, Squall gets to be a big jerk, and they both get to save Ellone from the monster.  Just as dramatic, no predatory teacher bit required.

But the reason I think the writers chose the route they did was because of the way they seem to have envisioned Quistis – specifically, as the hot teacher.  What boy in his right mind wouldn’t be thrilled to have some time alone with her?  Even one of the Trepies says something along those lines. Quistis overstepping the boundaries of her authority is just the writers transferring their adolescent fantasies to a story that otherwise keeps them to a respectable minimum.  

So, what happens when the hot teacher isn’t a teacher anymore?  Well, then she just becomes pretty decoration.  The curviest of the three main females, the most conventionally beautiful, the one whose weapon even has sexual connotations, no longer gets to be anything else.  

Oh, did we really insinuate that she’s extremely intelligent and competent? Sorry about that, here she is making bad decisions again and again!

Oops, Garden’s in the middle of a battle and Squall looks like he could use some help!  Should the SeeD with three years’ field experience step up?  No, she’s just a pretty face.  Let’s have the guy who’s not even a SeeD suddenly act brilliant!

Smart girls get put in their place.  Beautiful smart girls get taken down a few pegs lower.

It’s a strange sentiment from a game that otherwise allows its female characters to be strong and relatively independent.

How does a character go so quickly from gunning down a giant robot spider and saving her team to essentially just “being there”?  It would’ve been so simple to keep her original traits and adapt them to the changing conditions:  allow her to make prudent suggestions from time to time; allow her to step up when other characters are struggling; allow her to use her experience to continue to be an instructor in an unofficial capacity, a mentor to the newer SeeDs, thereby proving Balamb Garden wrong.

I understand that her confidence must’ve taken a major hit from her setbacks and failures, but damn, would it have been too much to ask to see her reclaim some of that confidence and redeem herself as the story progressed?

in-game i’m of the mind that she’s isolated and awkward specifically because she is so booksmart, which is why she missteps badly when it comes to personal things, but that’s something i came up with afterward to explain the canon material because WHY ELSE would such a smart cookie make these decisions?

she had so much potential but! BUT!! BUTTTTTTTT

He’s here!!!!! Please enjoy this collection of things that Smol Squall is smaller than. @milkchocobo I just about died when I saw the Lion Bar.

To enter the contest, simply REPLY TO THIS POST with YOUR FAVORITE FFVIII SHIP (ie. “Squinoa”, “Seifer/Zell”, “Platonic Fujin and Raijin” etc.)  

Open to Tumblr users, 18+, with US mailing address.

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I WILL BE YOUR MOTHER!!!